The Writing Witch

Try This DIY Yule Log Spell To Set Intentions For The New Year

I did this on the Winter Solstice, but you can choose to do this on Christmas, New Years Eve or New Years Day…

You can even do this ritual for your birthday if you’re born around Midwinter, or you can do it on any other significant day between December and January!

You may do this spell solitary or with a group. I did it at home with my partner.

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You will need:

• A fairly small log
• A ribbon or string made of natural materials
• Cuttings of your favorite winter evergreens
• An indoor fireplace or outdoor fire pit
• Three candles in your choice of Solstice colors
• Enough spell parchment, envelopes, and pens for each person partaking in the ritual
• Your choice of Solstice plants or herbs

Alternately, here is a version of the spell you can do even if you don’t have a fireplace or fire pit!

Step 1

Prepare the Log

Begin by choosing your log and evergreen cuttings. I was lucky enough to have found a pile of pine logs on the side of the road. Pine is awesome because it not only burns hotter than most other woods, but it also has a lovely smell and magickal properties associated with the winter season.

I’m also very blessed to have immediate access to lovely evergreen shrubs in my garden. I chose juniper, ivy, and whatever the bush with the beautiful red berries is… I honestly haven’t identified it yet, but the magick in it is that it grows in my yard and connects me to the land on which I reside.

You may choose to research the properties of the plants you add to your spell if you’d like. I tend to go mostly on whatever my intuition guides me toward. Either way, its best to choose wood and greenery that you have local access to, even if it means you have to go on a nature walk! But if that’s not an option, you can also use sprigs purchased from a florist or even just some of your favorite herbs!

Part of the magick of this spell is that it draws power from your personal connection to your environment. I emphasize that you use ribbon or string made from natural materials, because we will be burning this work of art, and it isn’t healthy for the environment to burn things made of synthetic plastics. I chose a simple hemp rope from the dollar store that happened to be dyed green.

All you need to do is tie your evergreen sprigs to the log, making it as messy or as perfect as you like. I carefully placed the sprigs on top of the log and then wrapped the rope around it. Some like to loosely wrap the strand around first and then insert the sprigs. I managed to do it all on my own, but it probably helps to have an extra set of hands!

Step 2

Create Sacred Space

Choose a cozy location to sit down and set your intentions. If you’re lucky enough to have a functional indoor fireplace that could be the perfect place for it! You can create your sacred space right by your fireplace and get cozy for the next step! Or, if you happen to live in a warm enough climate to be comfortable outdoors in the winter, more power to you too!

As for me, I live in New York, and I don’t have an indoor fireplace. I am thankful, however, to have several choices of location for an outdoor fire. I chose an enclosed fire pit on my porch, but since it’s cold here, I created my sacred writing space separately in my livingroom.

All you need to do is set up a comfortable zone in which to light your three candles, meditate, and write out your intentions. The key here is to be comfortable, because you want to be able to focus and be in the moment as you get into the mood for magick! Be sure to have your choice of magical herbs handy as well!

Step 3

Grounding and Centering

Now, its time to set the mood!

Sometimes, the hustle and bustle of the holiday season can really get your head stuck in a busy mindset. For me, I really needed a break from the mad rush to finish my holiday orders for my shop! Before attempting to do any magickal working, its essential to calm your mind and raise your vibration first!

Begin by lighting your three candles. The first one represents the past year, the second represents the present moment, and the third represents the year to come.

Have everyone in your circle sit down comfortably and take at least three slow, deep breaths, consciously calming and quieting the mind. Leave any thoughts of business or stress behind, and really begin to feel present in this magickal space. If you have a particular calming ritual you normally do before a magical working, feel free to add that in during this step.

Step 4

Put It Into Words

Now its time to begin the “spell,” and you’ll do this by “spell-ing” out your intentions… See what I did there lol?

Words are powerful! We all have ideas floating around in our minds, but there’s something truly magickal about writing it down clearly and reading it back to yourself to bring it to life.

On one side of your sheet of parchment, sum up what it is that you’re choosing to be finished with as you move forward into the new year. Mention any fears or subconscious programs or habits that no longer serve your highest good.

On the opposite side of the parchment page, welcome in the energies of positive change. What do you wish to accomplish or bring into your life? Let the Universe know that you’re conscious, open, and ready to receive the abundance you deserve, and that you’re willing to do what needs to be don in order to usher in that change.

You can purchase gorgeous witchy themed paper from my shop here! But honestly, folks, even plain white paper is fine. A lot of folks prefer fancy parchment or stationary just because it can really add to the magickal mood of the spell, helping to put us into the right head space to make magick happen. But feel free to use whatever you have access to, as long as you do it with conscious intention.

Step 5

Seal It With Herbs

Fold your slip of paper up like you would a letter, and fold in a pinch of each of your herbs of choice. I decided to go with five herbs in honor of the five elements, all of which will aid me in my successful year ahead.

I picked out dried herbs from my cabinet that represent each of the elements, you can to do the same! Use whichever “correspondences” resonate with you, and add whatever number of herbs resonates with you most. If you’re into the power of three, go with that, for example.

Lastly, carefully place the parchment with the herbs in it into the envelope, and seal it.

Step 6

Release It To The Universe

The final step is to go to your fire pit and complete the spell. Fire represents passion, action, and transformation, and it is with this element that we release our intention into the vastness of the Universe. Light your fire using paper, twigs, or whatever you normally use to get your fire going strong. Place your Solstice Log onto the fire in such a way that one side of it is not being consumed by flames. You want to burn most of the log, leaving one small section intact to start your fire with next year, representing the cyclical nature of life.

When you feel ready, hold your envelope to your heart, close your eyes, and breathe in your intention one last time before tossing it into the fire. And the spell is complete! Sit back, relax, enjoy the warmth and light of the flame, and share your hopes, dreams and experiences with your journal or your companions!

As the year goes on, recall what you wrote on that parchment, and keep those intentions strong in everything you do. While the path may unravel itself very differently than what you imagined, if your intentions are pure and strong, you’re sure to reach your greatest potential!

Please let me know in the comments if you decide to try this spell, or if you’ve done something similar in the past. Wishing you the brightest of blessings this year!

Did you enjoy this post?

If so, I invite you to check out my guided journaling adventure for the Winter Solstice season: